1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a refrigerator having a dual swing door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Appliances having dual swing doors, i.e., doors that can be operated from both left and right sides, are known in the art. Typically, a dual swing door includes two sets of hinges, one set positioned along each side portion, allowing the door to pivot about either a left or right hinge axis. The door also includes a trapping member that slides between and traps one set of hinges to establish a pivot axis on a desired side of the door.
The trapping member typically takes the form of a sliding rod or bar that is incorporated into upper and/or lower edge portions of the door. The bar is acted upon by a mechanism that guides the bar into a linkage which, in turn, traps the desired set of hinges. When the door is in a closed position, the bar is shifted into a centered or neutral position. Centering is accomplished through additional linkages and/or springs. While effective, the use of linkages and springs creates a complicated mechanism that increases the complexity and manufacturing costs of the door. Also, the more complex the system, the greater the tendency for the system to fail.
Based on the above, there still exists a need for an enhanced dual swing door mechanism for a refrigerator. More specifically, there exists a need for a dual swing door mechanism that employs a simple hinge mechanism which does not rely upon springs and complicated linkages to allow the door to pivot about multiple axes.